Dell and the CSPC have issued a recall for 4.1M laptop batteries manufactured by Sony and sold between April, 2004 and August 2006

Dell, along with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC),
has issued a recall of 4.1 million laptop batteries manufactured for the
company by Sony according to a Dell representative. The recall affects batteries manufactured by Sony in Dell’s Latitude, Precision, Inspiron and XPS laptop lines, manufactured between April
2004 and July 18th 2006. The exact models are as follows:

Dell is advising customers affected by the recall to eject
the battery after powering down the notebook and to use the laptop on AC power
until a replacement battery has arrived. The affected batteries may spontaneously combust,
sometimes rather violently.

According to Dell the problem is related impurities in the
anode and cathode of the battery. Over time the impurities can work
their way to the outside of the anode and rupture an isolator. The ruptured insulator then leaves an opportunity to create a short circuit that could result in a fire.

Customers who may have recalled batteries can go to DellBatteryProgram.com
to determine if they need a new battery or call 1.866.342.0011 for assistance
from Dell.

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